Announcements

In-Person worship continues  with appropriate distancing.  
Due to CDC instructions, we require wearing a mask.   

CALENDAR INFORMATION
September 18-19:  Mystic Garlic Fest              
September 25^th  Alzheimer's Walk, Ocean Beach, NL   A.M. event.
October 2^nd: Town-wide Tag Sale…Church Members can "rent" a table here at the church grounds and be front and center!  Contact the office...
            SIGN UP for  Super Saturday - Virtual workshops for church members  CLICK BELOW
 

Habitat for Humanity - long term Disaster Relief
Local Habitat organizations will lead recovery efforts with significant support from HFHI. Long-term recovery is an intense challenge and can be an underfunded aspect of disaster response and recovery. Contributions to support Habitat’s response to Hurricane Ida and other disasters around the world can be made online to Habitat’s Disaster Response Fund.

18^th SUNDAY OF PENTECOST                                                                      10 am

“As an Open and Affirming church:
      We respect the worth and dignity of all persons who come into our church family regardless of race, age, marital standing, gender, economic status, mental or physical challenges, nationality or sexual orientation.  We promise to support one another in our personal struggles, to understand and accept differences in one another, and pray to strengthen our love and acceptance.”
 
      *indicates those who are able are invited to stand
 
WELCOME AND THE WORK OF THE CHURCH
 
PRELUDE                       “Prelude” -  Franck

SILENT MEDITATION IN PREPARATION FOR WORSHIP
 
Call to worship
Draw near to God, and God will draw near to you.
Happy are those who find delight in God’s law.
God is always nearer than our next breath.
We gather to become more aware of God’s presence.
Knowledge of God is a delight to the righteous.
There is always more to discover than we know.
 
*HYMN #400              Christ Is Made the Sure Foundation      Regent Square

 
*Invocation and Lord’s Prayer (debts—debtors)
You watch over us, O God, and show us the way to prosper in life not so much in things as in relationships that contribute to our wholeness and well-being. Thank you for meeting us here and helping us deal with our selfish ambition, our disorder, and our conflicts. We come to you for instruction. Help us to be honest with ourselves and with you, voicing our doubts as well as our faith, our hypocrisy along with all that is deeply genuine. Create in us a space for quiet listening and thoughtful meditation. Hear us as we pray in Jesus’ name, Our Father...
 
*GLORIA PATRI  (#759)
Glory to the Creator, the Christ, the Holy Spirit
Three in One; As it was in the beginning,
Is now and ever shall be, world without end. Amen. 
 
*PASSING OF THE PEACE
            May the peace of Christ be with you.
                        And also with you.
 
(Children are invited to attend Church School now)
 
CHOIR ANTHEM 
                                        “God of Grace and God of Laughter” - arr. K. Lee. Scott
 
SCRIPTURE LESSONS          Psalm 1
                                                 James 3:13-4:3, 7-8a
 
SERMON                                            Wisdom from Above
 
MOMENTS OF SILENCE
 
*HYMN #502           Dear God, Embracing Humankind                     Rest

 
OFFERING OF OUR TITHES AND GIFTS
OFFERTORY                “Cavatina” -  Gluck
 
 *DOXOLOGY
            Praise God from Whom all blessing flow;
            Praise God all creatures here below;
            Praise God above, you heavenly host;
            Praise Father, Son and Holy Ghost.  Amen.
 
*PRAYER OF DEDICATION
 
PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE
 
*HYMN #18             Guide Me, O My Great Redeemer               CWM Rhondda

 
*BENEDICTION
 
POSTLUDE                    “Praise My Soul, the King of Heaven” – Kosche

When I thought how to understand this, it seemed to me a wearisome task, until I went into the sanctuary of God.    - Psalm 73:16-17 (NRSV)

        The psalmist’s view is all turned round again. “I am envious of the arrogant,” they write. “I see the prosperity of the wicked.” The lives of the wicked seem easy. Always getting richer.  The psalmist only dreams of such. 
        This speaks about people of faith who do their best to be just, fair, and kind.  It’s so tempting to go another way:  “But as for me, my feet have almost stumbled, my steps have nearly slipped.”
        What would you do? When your perspective gets all warped and weirded, your head turned by shiny shams, how do you get yourself turned the right way round again?  
        Go to the sanctuary of God, is the psalmist’s advice.  Maybe that’s also your answer; church certainly should be the kind of place that reorients you, resets your perspective, reminds you what’s important.  Maybe you have other things that help.  Do you need it now?                                                                    
       And: if you don’t need it now, do you know what’s a great way to not wind up needing it? Doing it before you do.                          -Quinn Caldwell
 

Global Ministries Prayers for Fiji   This story within Mark evokes that impression as the disciples struggle, much like us, to not only conceptualize, but then move to understand and accept what is and what must be. With many being vaccinated and the excitement of the world opening up again it becomes all too easy to jump ahead of ourselves, as Peter did, without reflection or awareness of what that means for others. People remain at risk and the problems faced have not vanished. For Fiji please pray that misinformation of illness and vaccinations be dispelled and that those in need of aid, whatever form it may take, receive it. In the face of all this, we pray for growth in the awareness and interconnectivity of us all. Jesus called for people to reach beyond themselves for something greater, and so do we pray that denial can be overcome and that the strength to move beyond oneself can be achieved.

Our Ministers:  the Congregation
Susan G. Latourette, Pastor – 860-759-4231, pastorsuel@yahoo.com
Michael G.  Noonan, Director of Music
Kay Lautzenheiser, Christian Education Coordinator
Rosemary Kuemper, Church Secretary
Charlotte Melia, Sexton      
Office hours:  Monday –Thursday, 9 am - 1 pm
860-535-0379       nostoucc@comcast.net

Worship Notes:
“Prelude” by Cesar Franck (1822-1880). Public Domain
“God of Grace and God of Laughter” by Carl P. Daw, Jr, arr. K. Lee Scott. Copyright 1989, Hope Publishing Co. All Rights Reserved. One License Song #39689.
“Cavatina” by Christoph Gluck (1714-1787). Public Domain.
“Praise My Soul, the King of Heaven” by Kenneth T. Kosche. Copyright 2011, Birnamwood Publications, a division of MorningStar Music Publishers. All Rights Reserved.
Hymn #400, Christ Is Made the Sure Foundation, Public Domain; Regent Square,; H.T. Smart.  CCLI Song # 3703519
Hymn #502, Dear God, Embracing Humankind, J. G. Whittier; Rest, F.C. Maker, 1887.  Public Domain. 
Hymn #18, Guide Me, O My Great Redeemer, W. Williams; CWM Rhonnda.  OneLicense #SSS051
All Hymns from the (NCH) New Century Hymnal; © 1995 The Pilgrim Press, have been granted permission for this one-time use.      
Permission to reprint, podcast, and / or stream the music in this service obtained from ONE LICENSE with license #735340-A. All rights reserved.  Permissions granted under CCLI License # 11212116


 

Our mailing address is:                                         Website:  www.northstoningtonucc.com
89 Main Street, P.O. Box 66  
North Stonington CT  06359

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